Supports for sintering additively manufactured parts

ABSTRACT

To reduce distortion in an additively manufactured part, a shrinking platform is formed from a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix. Shrinking supports of the same material are formed above the shrinking platform, and a desired part of the same material is formed upon them. A sliding release layer is provided below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform to lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and an underlying surface. The matrix is debound sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and the desired part. The shape-retaining brown part assembly is heated to shrink all of the components together at a same rate via atomic diffusion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/429,711, filed Dec. 2, 2016, entitled “SUPPORTS FOR SINTERING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS”; 62/430,902, filed Dec. 6, 2016, entitled “WARM SPOOL FEEDING FOR SINTERING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS”; 62/442,395 filed Jan. 4, 2017, entitled “INTEGRATED DEPOSITION AND DEBINDING OF ADDITIVE LAYERS OF SINTER-READY PARTS”; 62/480,331 filed Mar. 31, 2017, entitled “SINTERING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS IN A FLUIDIZED BED”; 62/489,410 filed Apr. 24, 2017, entitled “SINTERING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS IN MICROWAVE OVEN”; 62/505,081 filed May 11, 2017, entitled “RAPID DEBINDING VIA INTERNAL FLUID CHANNELS”; 62/519,138 filed Jun. 13, 2017, entitled “COMPENSATING FOR BINDER-INTERNAL STRESSES IN SINTERABLE 3D PRINTED PARTS”; and 62/545,966 filed Aug. 15, 2017, entitled “BUBBLE REMEDIATION IN 3D PRINTING OF METAL POWDER IN SOLUBLE BINDER FEEDSTOCK”, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD

Aspects relate to three dimensional printing of composite metal or ceramic materials.

BACKGROUND

“Three dimensional printing” as an art includes various methods for producing metal parts.

In 3D printing, in general, unsupported spans as well as overhanging or cantilevered portions of a part may require removable and/or soluble and/or dispersing supports underneath to provide a facing surface for deposition or to resist deformation during post-processing.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a method of reducing distortion in an additively manufactured part includes forming a shrinking platform of successive layers of composite, the composite including a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix. The debindable matrix may include different components so as to be a one or two stage binder. Shrinking supports are formed of the same composite above the shrinking platform. A desired part of the same composite is formed upon the shrinking platform and shrinking supports, substantially horizontal portions (e.g., overhangs, bridges, large radius arches) of the desired part being vertically supported by the shrinking platform (e.g., directly, via the shrinking supports, or via a release layer). A sliding release layer is formed below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4) that reduces lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and an underlying surface (e.g., such as a build platform or a tray for sintering). The matrix is debound sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly (e.g., including a sparse lattice of remaining binder to hold the shape) including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part. The shape-retaining brown part assembly formed from the same composite is heated to shrink all of the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part together at a same rate as neighboring metal particles throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly undergo atomic diffusion. According, uniform shrinking and the sliding release layer reduce distortion.

An apparatus of similar advantage may include a print head that deposits the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part, a second printhead that forms the sliding release layer, a debinding wash that debinds the shape-retaining brown part assembly, and a sintering oven to heat and shrink the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part together at a same rate.

Optionally, an open cell structure including interconnections among cell chambers is deposited in at least one of the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part; and a fluid debinder is penetrated into the open cell structure to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure. Additionally, or alternatively, the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part may be formed to substantially align a centroid of the combined shrinking platform and connected shrinking supports with the centroid of the part. Further additionally or in the alternative, the shrinking supports may be interconnected to a side of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the same composite between the shrinking supports and the side of the desired part. Still further additionally or in the alternative, a lateral support shell may be formed of the same composite following a lateral contour of the desired part, and the lateral support shell may be connected to the lateral contour of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the same composite between the lateral support shell and the desired part.

Further optionally, soluble support structures of the debindable matrix may be formed, without the metal particulate filler, that resist downward forces during the forming of the desired part, and the matrix debound sufficient to dissolve the soluble support structures before heating the shape-retaining brown part assembly. Alternatively, or in addition, soluble support structures of a release composite may be formed, the release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix, the soluble support structures resisting downward forces during the forming of the desired part. Before heating the shape-retaining brown part assembly, the matrix may be debound sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part, and to dissolve the matrix of the soluble support structures.

Additionally, or in the alternative, the underlying surface may include a portable build plate. In this case, the shrinking platform may be formed above the portable build plate, and the sliding release layer formed below the shrinking platform and above the portable build plate with a release composite including a ceramic particulate and the debindable matrix. The shape-retaining brown part assembly may be sintered during the heating. The build plate, sliding release layer, and shape-retaining brown part assembly may be kept together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering. After sintering, the build plate, sliding release layer, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports may be separated from the desired part.

Optionally, part release layers may be formed between the shrinking supports and the desired part with a release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix, and the shape-retaining brown part assembly sintered during the heating. The part release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly may be kept together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering. After sintering, separating the part release layers, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports may be separated from the desired part. In this case, an open cell structure including interconnections among cell chambers in the shrinking supports may be deposited, and a fluid debinder may be penetrated into the open cell structure to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a method of reducing distortion in an additively manufactured part includes depositing, in successive layers, a shrinking platform formed from a composite, the composite including a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix, and depositing shrinking supports of the same composite and above the shrinking platform. An open cell structure including interconnections is deposited among cell chambers in the shrinking supports. From the same composite, a desired part is deposited upon the shrinking platform and shrinking supports. The shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part are exposed to a fluid debinder to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly. The fluid debinder is penetrated into the open cell structure to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure. The shape-retaining brown part assembly is sintered to shrink at a rate common throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly.

Optionally, a sliding release layer is deposited below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform that reduces lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and an underlying surface. Additionally, or in the alternative, part release layers are deposited between the shrinking supports and the desired part with a release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix, and the part release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly are kept together as a unit during the exposing and during the sintering. After sintering, the part release layers, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports are separated from the desired part. Further optionally, as shown in, e.g., FIGS. 8-10, vertical gaps without release composite are formed between shrinking supports and the desired part where a vertical surface of a shrinking support opposes an adjacent wall of the desired part.

Alternatively, or in addition, as shown in, e.g., FIGS. 8-10, a lateral support shell block is deposited having a large cell interior, having cells with cell cavities wider than a thickest wall within the lateral support shell block, to assist in diffusing and penetrating debinding fluid into the support. Further alternatively, or in addition, the shrinking supports may be interconnected to a side of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the same composite between the shrinking supports and the side of the desired part.

Further optionally, as shown in, e.g., FIGS. 8-10, a lateral support shell of the same composite as the shrinking supports may be deposited to follow a lateral contour of the desired part. In this case, the lateral support shell may be connected to the lateral contour of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the same composite between the lateral support shell and the desired part. Alternatively, or in addition, at least one of the shrinking platform, the lateral support shell and the desired part may be deposited with interconnections between internal chambers, and a fluid debinder may be penetrated via the interconnections into the internal chambers to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure. The shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part may be deposited to substantially align a centroid of the combined shrinking platform and connected shrinking supports with the centroid of the part.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a method of reducing distortion in an additively manufactured part includes depositing, in successive layers, a shrinking platform formed from a composite, the composite including a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix. Shrinking supports of the same composite may be deposited above the shrinking platform. As shown in, e.g., FIGS. 8-10, among the shrinking supports, parting lines as separation clearances may be formed dividing the shrinking supports into fragments separable along the separation clearances. From the same composite, a desired part may be shaped upon the shrinking platform and shrinking supports. The matrix may be debound sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking support columns, and desired part. The shape-retaining brown part assembly may be sintered to shrink at a rate uniform throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly. The shrinking supports may be separated into fragments along the separation clearances, and the fragments may be separated from the desired part.

Optionally, one or more separation clearances are formed as vertical clearance separating neighboring support columns and extending for substantially an height of the neighboring support columns, and further comprising, and the neighboring support columns are separated from one another along the vertical clearances. Alternatively, or in addition, within a cavity of the desired part, interior shrinking supports are formed from the same composite. Among the interior shrinking supports, parting lines may be formed as separation clearances dividing the interior shrinking supports into subsection fragments separable along the separation clearances. The subsection fragments may be separated from one another along the separation clearances.

Alternatively, or in addition, the fragments are formed as blocks separable from one another along a separation clearance contiguous within a plane intersecting the shrinking supports. A lateral support shell of the same composite as the shrinking supports may be formed to follow a lateral contour of the desired part. Optionally, the lateral support shell may be connected to the lateral contour of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the same composite between the lateral support shell and the desired part. Further optionally, in the lateral support shell, parting lines may be formed dividing the lateral support shell into shell fragments separable along the parting lines. The matrix may be debound sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking support columns, lateral support shell, and desired part. The lateral support shell may be separated into the shell fragments along the parting lines. The shell fragments may be separated from the desired part.

Further optionally, at least one of the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part may be deposited with interconnections between internal chambers, and a fluid debinder penetrated via the interconnections into the internal chambers to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure. Alternatively, or in addition, soluble support structures of the debindable matrix without the metal particulate filler may be formed that resist downward forces during the forming of the desired part, and the matrix debound sufficient to dissolve the soluble support structures before sintering the shape-retaining brown part assembly.

Still further optionally, a sliding release layer may be formed below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform that reduces lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and build plate, and the shrinking platform may be formed above the portable build plate. The sliding release layer may be formed below the shrinking platform and above the portable build plate with a release composite including a ceramic particulate and the debindable matrix, the build plate, sliding release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly may be kept together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering.

Further alternatively or in addition, part release layers may be formed between the shrinking supports and the desired part with a release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix, and the part release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly may be kept together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering. After sintering, the part release layers, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports may be separated from the desired part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of three-dimensional metal printer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram and schematic representation of a three dimensional printer system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart describing the overall operation of the 3D printer of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a 3D printing system, part, and process in which sintering supports (e.g. shrinking supports) are provided.

FIGS. 5A-5D are schematic sections through the diagram of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an alternative 3D printing system, part, and process to that of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of one exemplary process of printing, debinding, sintering, and support removal with separation and/or release layers, green body supports and/or sintering or shrinking supports.

FIG. 8 is an schematic representation of an additional alternative 3D printing system, part, and process to that of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is an schematic representation of an additional alternative 3D printing system, part, and process to that of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a sintered assembly of the 3D printing system, part, and process of FIG. 4, showing parting lines for removing support shells or sintering or shrinking supports.

FIG. 11 is a top view of a sintered assembly of an alternative 3D printing system, part, and process to that of FIG. 4, showing parting lines for removing support shells or sintering or shrinking supports.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are 3D views of the part schematically depicted FIGS. 8 and 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This patent application incorporates the following disclosures by reference in their entireties: U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 61/804,235; 61/815,531; 61/831,600; 61/847,113; 61/878,029; 61/880,129; 61/881,946; 61/883,440; 61/902,256; 61/907,431; and 62/080,890; 14/222,318; 14/297,437; and Ser. No. 14/333,881, may be referred to herein as “Composite Filament Fabrication patent applications” or “CFF patent applications”. Although the present disclosure discusses various metal or ceramic 3D printing systems, at least the mechanical and electrical motion, control, and sensor systems of the CFF patent applications may be used as discussed herein. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,202,734; 5,337,961; 5,257,657; 5,598,200; 8,523,331; 8,721,032, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 20150273577, are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

In 3D printing, in general, overhanging or jutting portions of a part may require removable and/or soluble and/or dispersing supports underneath to provide a facing surface for deposition. In metal printing, in part because metal is particularly dense (e.g., heavy), removable and/or soluble and/or dispersing supports may also be helpful to prevent deformation, sagging, during mid- or post-processing—for example, to preserve shape vs. drooping or sagging in potentially deforming environments like high heat.

Printing a sinterable part using a 3D printing material including a binder and a ceramic or metal sintering material is aided by support structures, able to resist the downward pressure of, e.g., extrusion, and locate the deposited bead or deposition in space. A release layer intervening between the support structures and the part includes a higher melting temperature material—ceramic or high temperature metal for example, optionally deposited with a similar (primary) matrix or binder component to the model material. Beneath the release layer, the model material as the part is used for support structures, promoting the same compaction/densification. This tends to mean the part and the supports will shrink uniformly, maintaining dimensional accuracy of the part. At the bottom of the support, a release layer may also be printed. In addition, the support structures may be printed sections with release layers, such that the final sintered support structures will readily break into smaller subsections for easy removal, optionally in the presence of mechanical or other agitation. In this way, a large support structure can be removed from an internal cavity via a substantially smaller hole. In addition, or in the alternative, a further method of support is to print soluble support material that is removed in the debinding process. For catalytic debind, this may be Delrin (POM) material. One method to promote uniform shrinking is to print a ceramic release layer as the bottom most layer in the part. On top of the sliding release layer (analogous to microscopic ball bearings) a thin sheet of metal—e.g., a raft—may be printed that will uniformly shrink with the part, and provide a “shrinking platform” to hold the part and the related support materials in relative position during the shrinking process. Optionally staples or tacks, e.g., attachment points, connect and interconnect the model material portions being printed.

The printer(s) of FIGS. 1-9, with at least two print heads 18, 10 and/or printing techniques, deposit with one head a composite material including a debinder and dispersed spheres or powder 18 (thermoplastic or curing), used for printing both a part and support structures, and with a second head 18 a (shown in FIGS. 4-9) deposits release or separation material. Optionally a third head and/or fourth head include a green body support head 18 b and/or a continuous fiber deposition head 10. A fiber reinforced composite filament 2 (also referred to herein as continuous core reinforced filament) may be substantially void free and include a polymer or resin that coats, permeates or impregnates an internal continuous single core or multistrand core. It should be noted that although the print head 18, 18 a, 18 b are shown as extrusion print heads, “fill material print head” 18, 18 a, 18 b as used herein may include optical or UV curing, heat fusion or sintering, or “polyjet”, liquid, colloid, suspension or powder jetting devices—not shown—for depositing fill material, so long as the other functional requirements described herein are met (e.g., green body material supports printing vs. gravity or printing forces, sintering or shrinking supports the part vs. gravity and promote uniform shrinking via atomic diffusion during sintering, and release or separation materials substantially retain shape through debinding stems but become readily removable, dispersed, powderized or the like after sintering).

Although FIGS. 1-9 in general show a Cartesian arrangement for relatively moving each print head in 3 orthogonal translation directions, other arrangements are considered within the scope of, and expressly described by, a drive system or drive or motorized drive that may relatively move a print head and a build plate supporting a 3D printed part in at least three degrees of freedom (i.e., in four or more degrees of freedom as well). For example, for three degrees of freedom, a delta, parallel robot structure may use three parallelogram arms connected to universal joints at the base, optionally to maintain an orientation of the print head (e.g., three motorized degrees of freedom among the print head and build plate) or to change the orientation of the print head (e.g., four or higher degrees of freedom among the print head and build plate). As another example, the print head may be mounted on a robotic arm having three, four, five, six, or higher degrees of freedom; and/or the build platform may rotate, translate in three dimensions, or be spun.

A fiber reinforced composite filament, when used, is fed, dragged, and/or pulled through a conduit nozzle optionally heated to a controlled temperature selected for the matrix material to maintain a predetermined viscosity, force of adhesion of bonded ranks, melting properties, and/or surface finish. After the matrix material or polymer of the fiber reinforced filament is substantially melted, the continuous core reinforced filament is applied onto a build platen 16 to build successive layers of a part 14 to form a three dimensional structure. The relative position and/or orientation of the build platen 16 and print heads 18, 18 a, 18 b, and/or 10 are controlled by a controller 20 to deposit each material described herein in the desired location and direction. A driven roller set 42, 40 may drive a continuous filament along a clearance fit zone that prevents buckling of filament. In a threading or stitching process, the melted matrix material and the axial fiber strands of the filament may be pressed into the part and/or into the swaths below, at times with axial compression. As the build platen 16 and print head(s) are translated with respect to one another, the end of the filament contacts an ironing lip and be subsequently continually ironed in a transverse pressure zone to form bonded ranks or composite swaths in the part 14.

With reference to FIG. 1, each of the printheads 18, 18 a, 18 b, 10 may be mounted on the same linear guide or different linear guides or actuators such that the X, Y motorized mechanism of the printer moves them in unison. As shown, each extrusion printhead 18, 18 a, 18 b may include an extrusion nozzle with melt zone or melt reservoir, a heater, a high thermal gradient zone formed by a thermal resistor or spacer (optionally an air gap), and/or a Teflon or PTFE tube. A 1.75-1.8 mm; 3 mm; or larger or smaller thermoplastic filament is driven through, e.g., direct drive or a Bowden tube provides extrusion back pressure in the melt reservoir.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram and control system of the three dimensional printer which controls the mechanisms, sensors, and actuators therein, and executes instructions to perform the control profiles depicted in and processes described herein. A printer is depicted in schematic form to show possible configurations of e.g., three commanded motors 116, 118, and 120. It should be noted that this printer may include a compound assembly of printheads 18, 18 a, 18 b, and/or 10.

As depicted in FIG. 2, the three-dimensional printer 3001 includes a controller 20 which is operatively connected to the fiber head heater 715, the fiber filament drive 42 and the plurality of actuators 116, 118, 120, wherein the controller 20 executes instructions which cause the filament drive to deposit and/or compress fiber into the part. The instructions are held in flash memory and executed in RAM (not shown; may be embedded in the controller 20). An actuator 114 for applying a spray coat, as discussed herein, may also be connected to the controller 20. In addition to the fiber drive 42, respective filament feeds 1830 (e.g., up to one each for heads 18, 18 a, and/or 18 b) may be controlled by the controller 20 to supply the extrusion printhead 1800. A printhead board 110, optionally mounted on the compound printhead and moving therewith and connected to the main controller 20 via ribbon cable, breaks out certain inputs and outputs. The temperature of the ironing tip 726 may be monitored by the controller 20 by a thermistor or thermocouple 102; and the temperature of the heater block holding nozzle 1802 of any companion extrusion printhead 1800 may be measured by respective thermistors or thermocouples 1832. A heater 715 for heating the ironing tip 726 and respective heater 1806 for heating respective extrusion nozzles 1802 are controlled by the controller 20. Heat sink fan(s) 106 and a part fan(s) 108, each for cooling, may be shared between the printheads, or independently provided, and controlled by the controller 20. A rangefinder 15 is also monitored by the controller 20. The cutter 8 actuator, which may be a servomotor, a solenoid, or equivalent, is also operatively connected. A lifter motor for lifting one or any printhead away from the part (e.g., to control dripping, scraping, or rubbing) may also be controlled. Limit switches 112 for detecting when the actuators 116, 118, 120 have reached the end of their proper travel range are also monitored by the controller 20.

As depicted in FIG. 2, an additional breakout board 122, which may include a separate microcontroller, provides user interface and connectivity to the controller 20. An 802.11 Wi-Fi transceiver connects the controller to a local wireless network and to the Internet at large and sends and receives remote inputs, commands, and control parameters. A touch screen display panel 128 provides user feedback and accepts inputs, commands, and control parameters from the user. Flash memory 126 and RAM 130 store programs and active instructions for the user interface microcontroller and the controller 20.

FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart showing a printing operation of the printers 1000 in FIGS. 1-9. FIG. 3 describes, as a coupled functionality, control routines that may be carried out to alternately and in combination use the co-mounted FFF extrusion head(s) 18, 18 a, and/or 18 b and a fiber reinforced filament printing head as in the CFF patent applications.

In FIG. 3, at the initiation of printing, the controller 20 determines in step S10 whether the next segment to be printed is a fiber segment or not, and routes the process to S12 in the case of a fiber filament segment to be printed and to step S14 in the case of other segments, including e.g., base, fill, or coatings. After each or either of routines S12 and S14 have completed a segment, the routine of FIG. 3 checks for slice completion at step S16, and if segments remain within the slice, increments to the next planned segment and continues the determination and printing of fiber segments and/or non-fiber segments at step S18. Similarly, after slice completion at step S16, if slices remain at step S20, the routine increments at step S22 to the next planned slice and continues the determination and printing of fiber segments and/or non-fiber segments. “Segment” as used herein corresponds to “toolpath” and “trajectory”, and means a linear row, road, or rank having a beginning and an end, which may be open or closed, a line, a loop, curved, straight, etc. A segment begins when a printhead begins a continuous deposit of material, and terminates when the printhead stops depositing. A “slice” is a single layer or lamina to be printed in the 3D printer, and a slice may include one segment, many segments, lattice fill of cells, different materials, and/or a combination of fiber-embedded filament segments and pure polymer segments. A “part” includes a plurality of slices to build up the part. FIG. 3's control routine permits dual-mode printing with one, two, or more (e.g., four) different printheads, including the compound printheads 18, 18 a, 18 b, and/or 10.

All of the printed structures previously discussed may be embedded within a printed article during a printing process, as discussed herein, expressly including reinforced fiber structures of any kind, sparse, dense, concentric, quasi-isotropic or otherwise as well as fill material or plain resin structures. In addition, in all cases discussed with respect to embedding in a part, structures printed by fill material heads 18, 18 a, 18 b using thermoplastic extrusion deposition may be in each case replaced with soluble material (e.g., soluble thermoplastic or salt) to form a soluble preform which may form a printing substrate for part printing and then removed. All continuous fiber structures discussed herein, e.g., sandwich panels, shells, walls, reinforcement surrounding holes or features, etc., may be part of a continuous fiber reinforced part.

Using the 3D printer herein discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-9 inclusive, which may deposit either fill material (composite with a debindable matrix containing metal, ceramic, and/or fibers), soluble (e.g., “soluble” also including, in some cases, debindable by thermal, pyrolytic or catalytic process) material, or continuous fiber, the reinforcing fiber may be additive

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the printheads 18 and 10 are mounted on the same linear guide such that the X, Y motorized mechanism 116, 118 of the printer 1000 moves them in unison. A 1.75-1.8 mm; 3 mm or larger or smaller metal filament 10 b may be driven through, e.g., direct drive or a Bowden tube that may provide extrusion back pressure in a melt reservoir 10 a or crucible.

Commercially valuable metals suitable for printing include aluminum, titanium and/or stainless steel as well as other metals resistant to oxidation at both high and low temperatures (e.g., amorphous metal, glassy metal or metallic glass).

One form of post-processing is sintering. By molding or 3D printing as described herein, a green body may be formed from an appropriate material, including a binder or binders and a powdered or spherized metal or ceramic (of uniform or preferably distributed particle or sphere sizes). A brown body may be formed from the green body by removing one or more binders (using a solvent, catalysis, pyrolysis). The brown body may retain its shape and resist impact better than the green body due to remelting of a remaining binder. When the brown body is sintered at high temperature and/or pressure, remaining binder may pyrolise away, and the brown body uniformly contracts as it sinters. The sintering may take place in an inert gas, a reducing gas, a reacting gas, or a vacuum. Application of heat (and optionally) pressure eliminates internal pores, voids and microporosity between and within the metal or ceramic beads through at least diffusion bonding and/or atomic diffusion. Supporting material, either the same or different from model material, supports the part being printed, post-processed, or sintered versus the deposition force of printing itself and/or versus gravity, particularly for unsupported straight or low-angle spans or cantilevers.

As noted, printing a part is aided by the support structures, able to resist the downward pressure of, e.g., extrusion, and locate the deposited bead or deposition in space. As discussed herein a release layer includes in a higher melting temperature material—ceramic for example, optionally deposited via similar (primary) matrix component to the model material. Beneath the release layer, the same (metal) material is used as the part, promoting the same compaction/densification. This tends to mean the part and the supports will shrink uniformly, maintaining dimensional accuracy of the part. At the bottom of the support, a release layer may also be printed. In addition, the support structures may be printed sections with release layers, such that the final sintered support structures will readily break into smaller subsections for easy removal, optionally in the presence of mechanical or other agitation. In this way, a large support structure can be removed from an internal cavity via a substantially smaller hole. In addition, or in the alternative, a further method of support is to print soluble support material that is removed in the debinding process. For catalytic debind, this may be Delrin (POM) material. One method to promote uniform shrinking is to print a ceramic release layer as the bottom most layer in the part. On top of the sliding release layer (analogous to microscopic ball bearings) a thin sheet of metal—e.g., a raft—may be printed that will uniformly shrink with the part, and provide a “shrinking platform” to hold the part and the related support materials in relative position during the shrinking process. Optionally staples or tacks, e.g., attachment points, connect and interconnect the model material portions being printed.

FIGS. 4 through 7 show, in schematic form, additional explanation of relevant processes, structures, materials, and systems. As shown in FIGS. 4-7, a 3D printer suitable for the deposition phase of the process may include one, two, three, or more deposition heads for depositing model material and supports (as well as, e.g., a continuous composite deposition head). As shown in FIG. 4, a model material deposition head 18 deposits a composite material including metal or ceramic spherized powder as well as a meltable or matrix of binding polymers, waxes, and/or other utility components. In the model material deposition head 18, the process may use a low-diameter filament (e.g., 1-4 mm) as both material supply and back pressure for extrusion. In this case, the model material extrusion filament may be stiff, yet reasonably pliable as supplied (e.g., 0.1-3.0 GPa flexural modulus) and reasonably viscous when fluidized (e.g., melt or dynamic viscosity of 100-10,000 Pa·s, preferably 300-1000 Pa·s) in order to support bridging while printing across gaps or spans, even absent green body supports or sintering (i.e., shrinking) supports below.

In the 3D printer and exemplary part shown in FIG. 4, a separation or release material deposition head 18-S and a green body support material deposition head 18-G may additionally be supported to move in at least three relative degrees of freedom with respect to the part P1 being printed. As discussed herein, the separation material may in some cases serve as a green body support, so alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, only one head 18-SG may deposit both green body support material and separation material. As shown in FIG. 4, from bottom to top (in this case, 3D printing is performed from the bottom up), in these exemplary processes the first layer printed is a raft separation layer or sliding release layer SL1 printed from, e.g., the separation material deposition head 18-SG. The separation material may be, as noted herein, of similar debinding materials to the model material, but, e.g., with a ceramic or other spherical powder filler (e.g., particulate) that does not sinter, melt, or otherwise bind at the sintering temperature of the model material. Consequently, the separation material may have its debinding material completely removed by solvent, catalysis, pyrolysis, leaving behind a dispersible and/or removable powder (e.g., after sintering, the powder of the separation material remaining unsintered even after the sintering process). “Separation” and “release” are generally used interchangeably herein.

FIGS. 5A-5D show selected sections through FIG. 4 for the purpose of discussing printing and other process steps. It should be noted that the Figures are not necessarily to scale. In particular, very small clearances or material-filled clearances (e.g., separation or release layers) or components (e.g., protrusions for snap removal) may be shown at exaggerated scales for the purpose of clear explanation. Moreover, it should also be noted that in some cases, solid bodies are shown to simplify explanation, but the internal structure of the solid bodies herein may be 3D printed with infill patterns (e.g., honeycombs) and/or may include chopped, short, long, or continuous fiber reinforcement as discussed in the CFF Patent Applications.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A, upon an optionally removable and transportable, optionally ceramic build plate 16, a raft separation layer SL1 is printed to permit a raft RA1 printed above to be readily removed from the build plate 16, in some cases before debinding, or in some cases when the (e.g., portable) build plate 16 itself is still attached through the debinding process (in the example shown in FIG. 7).

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, following the printing of the raft separation layer SL1, a raft or shrinking platform RA1 of model material (e.g., metal-bearing composite) is printed. The raft or shrinking platform RA1 is printed, e.g., for a purpose of providing a continuous model material foundation or material interconnection among the part and its supports, so that the process of mass transport and shrinking during sintering is uniformly carried out about a common centroid or center of mass. The raft RA1 may serve other purposes—e.g., improving early adhesion, clearing environmentally compromised (e.g., wet, oxidized) material from a supply path, or conditioning printing nozzles or other path elements (e.g., rollers), etc. As noted, two general classes of supports may be used: green body supports (which support the part being printed during the printing process, but are removed before or during sintering) and sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports (which support the part being sintered during the sintering process). Some supports may serve both roles. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, should an upper portion of the entire print benefit from green body supports, the lower layers of green body supports GS1 may be printed upon either the build plate 16, or as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, upon the separation layer SL1 and/or the raft or shrinking platform RA1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5C, subsequently, the raft RA1 may be continued into a surrounding or lateral shell support structure SH1 (either contiguously or via a parting line PL and/or physical separation structure, e.g., a pinched and/or wasp-waisted and/or perforated or otherwise weakened cross-section that may be flexed to break away). Further, separation structures—in this case model material protrusions P1 as well as an optionally intervening separation layer SL2—may be printed between the raft RA1 and shell SH1 to permit the removal of the raft RA1 and shell SH1 subsequent to sintering. The printing of green body supports GS1 is continued, in this case providing printing support to angled (e.g., 10-45 degrees from vertical), sparse and/or branching sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports SS1 printed to later provide sintering support for an overhanging or cantilevered portion OH1, as well as building up a green body support GS1 for printing support for the same overhanging or cantilevered portion OH1. “Printing support” may mean support vs. printing back pressure or gravity during printing, while “sintering support” may mean support vs. gravity, support vs. other external/internal stress during sintering, or providing interconnections facilitating evenly distributed mass transport and/or atomic diffusion. Although an overhanging or cantilevered portion OH1 is show in FIG. 4, an unsupported span, even if contiguous to the part P1 at two opposing sides, may also benefit from supports as described.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5D, the surrounding shell support structure SH1 is continued printing in layers, and optionally interconnected vertically or diagonally to the part 14 via, e.g., protrusions P1 of model material connected to the shell support structure SH1, and/or separation layer material SL2 material. The parting lines and separation structures similarly are continued vertically. An internal volume V1 in the part P1, in this case a cylindrical volume V1, is printed with green body supports GB2—if the model material is sufficiently viscous or shape-retaining during printing, the 3D printing process may bridge gaps or diagonally stack, and internal volumes with sloping walls or arch-like walls may not require sintering supports. Alternatively, the internal volume V1 is printed with sintering supports, or a combination of green body supports and sintering supports, e.g., as with the supports below overhang OH1. The internal volume V1 is printed with a channel to the outside of the part to permit support material to be removed, cleaned away, or more readily accessed by heat transfer or fluids or gasses used as solvents or catalysis. The green body supports GS1 and branching sintering supports SS1 are similarly continued to later provide sintering support for an overhanging or cantilevered portion OH1, as well as building up a green body support GS1 for printing support for the same overhanging or cantilevered portion OH1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5D, an overhang or cantilevered portion OH1 may be supported by sintering supports SS1 at an angle, so long as the sintering supports are self-supporting during the printing process e.g., either by the inherent stiffness, viscosity, or other property of the model material as it is printed in layers stacking up at a slight offset (creating the angle), or alternatively or in addition with the lateral and vertical support provided by, e.g., the green body supports GS1. The sintering supports must also be robust to remain integral with the part 14 or supporting the part 14 through the sintering process.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 4, the remainder of the part 14, support shell structure SH1, sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports SS1, and green body supports GS1, GS2 are printed to completion. As printed, essentially all portions of the part 14 are supported in a vertical direction either via green body supports GS1, GS2, sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports SS1, the raft RA1, separation layer SL1 and/or SL2. Portions of the part 14, or structures within the part 14 that are self-supporting (because, e.g., of the material properties of the model material composite, or external bodies providing support, and/or those which are sufficiently stiff during support removal, debinding, and/or sintering) need not be supported vs. gravity. In addition, the support structures SS1, the raft RA1, and/or the shell structure SH1 are interconnected with model material to the part 14 in a manner that tends to shrink during sintering about a same centroid or center of mass or at least maintain relative local scale with respect to the neighboring portion of the part 14. Accordingly, during the approximately 20% uniform shrinking of the sintering process, these support structures shrink together with the part 14 and continue to provide support vs. gravity.

FIG. 6 shows a variation of the 3D printer, printing method, part structure, and materials of FIG. 4. In FIG. 6, no separate green body support deposition head 18 c is provided. Accordingly, green body supports and separation layers are formed from the same material—e.g., the composite material used for separation layers, in which a ceramic or high-temperature metal particles or spheres are distributed in an, e.g., two-stage debindable matrix. In this case, the green body supports are not necessarily removed during or before debinding or in a separate process, but are instead simply weakened during debinding and, as with the separation layers, have their remaining polymer material pyrolized during sintering. The remaining ceramic powder can be cleaned out and/or removed following sintering, at the same time as the separation layers.

FIG. 7 shows one overall schematic of the process. Initially, in the 3D printing phase, the part 14, together with its green body supports, sintering supports, and separation layers, is printed in a 3D printer as described. The green body, including all of these, optionally still bound to a ceramic or other material build plate 16, is transferred to a debinding chamber (optionally, the debinding chamber is integrated in the 3D printer or vice versa). As noted, if the green body supports are made of a different polymer or substance than the first stage debinding material, a separate process may remove the green body supports before debinding. If the green body supports are made from either the same or similar substances as the first stage debinding material, or one that responds to the debinding process by decomposing or dispersing, the green body supports may be removed during debinding. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, debinding includes removing a first binder component from the model material using a thermal process, a solvent process, a catalysis process, or a combination of these, leaving a porous brown body structure (“DEBINDING”), and may optionally include dissolving, melting, and/or catalyzing away the green body supports (“SUPPORT REMOVAL 1”).

Continuing with FIG. 7, as shown, a brown body is transferred to a sintering chamber or oven (optionally combined with the printer and/or debinding chamber). The brown body includes the part, optionally a surrounding shell structure, and optionally sintering supports. As noted, the surrounding shell structure and sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports are different aspects of sintering support structure. Optionally, intervening between the shell structure and/or sintering supports are separation layers, formed from, e.g., the separation material. Optionally, intervening between the shell structure and/or sintering supports are protrusions or ridges of model material interconnecting these to the part. Optionally, the same or a similar separation material intervenes between the brown body and the build plate. During sintering, the brown body uniformly shrinks by approximately 20%, closing internal porous structures in the brown body by atomic diffusion. The second stage debinding component of the model material may be pyrolised during sintering (including, for example, with the assistance of catalyzing or other reactive agents in gas or otherwise flowable form).

As shown in FIG. 7, a sintered body can be removed from the sintering oven. The supporting shell structure and the sintering supports can be separated or broken up along parting lines, and/or along separation layers, and or by snapping or flexing protrusion connections, tacks or other specifically mechanically weak structures. The separation layers are powderized and are readily removed. Should the green body supports be formed from the separation material, the green body supports are similarly powderized and may be readily removed.

FIG. 8 shows a variation of a part printed as in FIG. 4. The part shown in FIG. 8 includes four overhanging or cantilevered sections OH2-OH5. Overhang OH2 is a lower, thicker overhang under a cantilevered, thinner overhang OH3. While the lower overhang OH2 may in some cases be printed without sintering supports or even green-body supports as a self-supporting cantilever, it is below the long cantilever overhang OH3, which is sufficiently long, thin, and heavy that it may require both green body supports and sintering supports. Overhang OH4 is a downward-leaning overhang, which must be printed with green body supports (because its lowest portion is otherwise unsupported, i.e., in free space, during printing) and in a form difficult to remove sintering supports printed beneath without drafting or parting lines (because rigid sintering supports would become locked in). Overhang OH5 is a cantilever including a heavy block of model material, which may require both green body and sintering support. In addition, the part shown in FIG. 8 includes an internal cylindrical volume, from which any necessary sintering supports must be removed via a small channel. For reference, the 3D shape of the part 14 of FIG. 8 is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

As shown in FIG. 8, in contrast to the sintering supports SS1 of FIGS. 4 and 6, sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports SS2, supporting overhangs OH2 and OH3, may be formed including thin walled, vertical members. The vertical members of sintering supports SS2 may be independent (e.g., vertical rods or plates) or interlocked (e.g., accordion or mesh structures). As shown in FIG. 8, the sintering supports SS2 (or indeed the sintering supports SS1 of FIGS. 4 and 6, or the sintering supports SS3, SS4, and SS5 of FIG. 8) may be directly tacked (e.g., contiguously printed in model material, but with relatively small cross-sectional area) to a raft RA2, to the part 14 a, and/or to each other. Conversely, the sintering supports SS2 may be printed above, below, or beside a separation layer, without tacking. As shown, the sintering supports SS2 are removable from the orthogonal, concave surfaces of the part 14 a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, similar sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports SS3 are printed beneath the downward-leaning overhang OH4, and beneath heavier overhang OH5. In order that these supports SS3, may be readily removed, some or all are printed with a parting line PL, e.g., formed from separation material, and/or formed from a mechanically weakened separation structure (e.g., printing with a nearly or barely abutting clearance as described herein, or printing with a wasp-waisted, pinched, or perforated cross-section, or the like), or a combination of these (or, optionally, a combination of one or both of these with green body support material having little or no ceramic or metal content, should this be separately printed). These material or mechanical separation structures, facilitating removal of the sintering supports, may be similarly printed into the various sintering supports shown in FIGS. 4-7, 9, and throughout.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, sintering (e.g., shrinking) supports SS5 are printed within the internal volume V2. The sintering supports SS5 are each provided with multiple parting lines, so that the sintering supports in this case can be broken or fall apart into parts sufficiently small to be readily removed, via the channel connecting the internal volume V2. As shown, the channel CH2 itself is not printed with internal supports, as an example of a small-diameter hole of sufficient rigidity during both printing and sintering to hold its shape. Of course, supports may be printed of either or both types to ensure shape retention.

FIG. 9 is substantially similar to FIG. 8, but shows some variations in structure. For example, beneath overhang OH3, a monolithic, form-fitting shell SH3 is printed of model material, separated from the part 14 by either release or separation layers SL2 and/or protrusions P1. The monolithic shell SH3 has small open cell holes throughout to lower weight, save material, and improve penetration or diffusion of gases or liquids for debinding. This shell SH3 may surround the part 14 if sufficient parting lines or release layers are printed into the shell SH3 (e.g., instead of the structures SH4 and SH5 to the left of the drawing, a similar structure would be arranged), and if sufficiently form following, act as a workholding piece.

In another example in FIG. 9, monolithic (e.g., lateral) support (e.g., shrinking) shell SH4 is printed integral with the raft RA2, but with a parting line PL angled to draft and permit removal of the support shell SH4. In a further example shown in FIG. 9, support shell SH4 is printed angled upward (to save material) and with a large cell or honeycomb interior to lower weight, save material, and/or improve penetration or diffusion of gases or liquids for debinding.

FIG. 9 also shows examples of continuous fiber layers deposited by, e.g., continuous fiber head 10. Sandwich-panel reinforcement layers CSP1 are positioned at various layers, e.g., within upper and lower bounds of overhangs OH2, OH3, and OH5.

As noted, in one example, green body supports may optionally be printed from a matrix of thermal, soluble, or catalytic debindable composite material (e.g., catalytic including Polyoxymethylene—POM/acetal) and high melting point metal (e.g., molybdenum) or ceramic spheres, and leave behind a powder when debound. In another example, green body supports are printed from a thermal, soluble, pyrolytic or catalytically responsive material (e.g., polymer or polymer blend) and leave behind only removable byproducts (gases or dissolved material) when the green body supports are removed. The green body supports may be formed to be mechanically or chemically or thermally removed before or after debinding, but preferably are also made from thermal, soluble, pyrolytic or catalytically responsive material, and may be fully removed during the debinding stage (or immediately thereafter, e.g., subsequent powder cleaning to remove remainder powder). In some cases, the green body supports are removed by a different chemical/thermal process from the debinding, before or after debinding.

An exemplary catalytically debindable composite material including POM or acetal is one example of a two-stage debinding material. In some cases, in a two-stage debinding material, in a first stage a first material is removed, leaving interconnected voids for gas passage during debinding. The first material may be melted out (e.g., wax), catalytically removed (e.g., converted directly into gas in a catalytic surface reaction), or dissolved (in a solvent). A second stage binder, e.g., polyethylene, that is not as responsive to the first material process, remains in a lattice-like and porous form, yet maintaining the shape of the 3D printed object awaiting sintering (e.g., before the metal or ceramic balls have been heated to sufficient temperature to begin the atomic diffusion of sintering). This results in a brown part, which includes, or is attached to, the sintering supports. As the part is sintered at high heat, the second stage binder may be pyrolised and progressively removed in gaseous form.

Sintering supports may be formed in blocks or segments with at least some intervening release layer material, so as to come apart during removal. Untacked sintering supports may be formed from the model material, i.e., the same composite material as the part, but separated from the part to be printed by a release layer, e.g., a higher temperature composite having the same or similar binding materials. For example, for most metal printing, the release layer may be formed from a high temperature ceramic composite with the same binding waxes, polymers, or other materials. The release layer may be very thin, e.g., one 3D printing layer. When the metal is sintered, the release layer—having already had a first stage binder removed—is essentially powderized as the temperature is insufficient to sinter or diffusion bond the ceramic material. This enables the untacked sintering supports to be easily removed after sintering.

Tacked sintering supports may be similarly formed from the model material, i.e., the same composite material as the part, but may connect to the part either by penetrating the release layer or without a release layer. The tacked sintering supports are printed to be contiguous with the part, via thin connections, i.e., “tacked” at least to the part. The tacked sintering supports may in the alternative, or in addition, be printed to be contiguous with a raft below the part which interconnects the part and the supports with model material. The raft may be separated from a build plate of a 3D printer by a layer or layers of release layer material.

A role of tacked and untacked of sintering supports is to provide sufficient supporting points versus gravity to prevent, or in some cases remediate, sagging or bowing of bridging, spanning, or overhanging part material due to gravity. The untacked and tacked sintering supports are both useful. Brown bodies, in the sintering process, may shrink by atomic diffusion uniformly about the center of mass or centroid of the part. In metal sintering and some ceramics, typically this is at least in part solid-state atomic diffusion. While there may be some cases where diffusion-based mass transport among the many interconnected metal/ceramic spheres does not transport sufficient material to, e.g., maintain a very thin bridge joining large masses, this is not necessarily the case with supports, which may be contiguously formed connected at only one end as a one-ended bridge (or connected at two ends as two-ended bridges; or interconnected over the length).

In those cases where tacked sintering supports are tacked to, or connected to, a model material raft upon which the part is printed, the interconnection of model material among the tacked sintering supports and the raft can be arranged such that the centroid of the raft-supports contiguous body is at or near the same point in space as that of the part, such that the part and the raft-support contiguous party each shrink during sintering uniformly and without relative movement that would move the supports excessively with respect to the part. In other cases, the part itself may also be tacked to the model material raft, such that the entire contiguous body shrinks about a common centroid. In another variation, the part is interconnected to the raft via tacked sintering supports tacked at both ends (e.g., to the raft and to the part) or and/along their length (e.g., to the part and/or to each other).

In other cases, untacked sintering supports may be confined within a volume and contiguous with the raft and/or the part, the volume formed from model material, such that they may shrink about their own centroids (or interconnected centroid) but are continually moved through space and kept in a position supporting the part by the surrounding model material. For example, this may be effective in the case of the internal volume V2 of FIG. 8 or 9.

In the alternative, or in addition, support or support structures or shells may be formed from model material following the form of the part in a lateral direction with respect to gravity, e.g., as shown in certain cases in FIGS. 4-9. The model material shells may be printed tacked to the base raft (which may be tacked to the part). They may be printed integral with, but separable from the base raft. The base raft may be separable together with the model material shells. These support structures may be offset from or substantially follow the lateral outer contours of the part, or may be formed from primitive shapes (straight or curved walls) but close to the part. In one variation, the support structures may envelop the part on all sides (in many cases, including parting lines and/or separation structures to permit the shell to be removed). These offset support structures may be printed with a separation layer or layers of the separation material (optionally ceramic or another material that will transfer mechanical support but will not be difficult to separate).

Any of the support structures discussed herein—e.g., tacked or untacked sintering supports, and/or support shells, may be printed with, instead of or in addition to intervening separation material, a separation clearance or gap (e.g., 5-100 microns) between the part and support structure (both being formed from model material). In this manner, individual particles or spheres of the support structure may intermittently contact the part during sintering, but as the separation clearance or gap is preserved in most locations, the support structures are not printed with compacted, intimate support with the part. When and if bonding diffusion occurs at intermittently contacting particles, the separation force required to remove the separation clearance support structures after sintering may be “snap-away” or “tap-away”, and in any case far lower than an integral or contiguous extension of the part.

In an alternative, separation gaps or clearances between the part and support structures may be placed in partial segments following the contour, with some of the remainder of the support structures following the e.g., lateral contour of the part more closely or more distantly, or both. For example, support structures may be printed with a small separation gap (5-100 microns) for the majority of the support structure, but with other sections partially substantially following the contour printed yet closer to the part (e.g., 1-20 microns) providing increased rigidity and support during sintering, yet generally over a set of limited contact areas, permitting removal. This may also be carried out with large and medium gaps (e.g., 100-300 microns separation for the larger clearance support structures, optionally with separation material intervening, and 5-100 microns for the more closely following support structures). Further, this may be carried out in three or more levels (e.g., 100-300 micron gaps, 5-100 micron gaps, and 1-20 micron gaps in different portions of the support structures following the contour of the part).

Optionally, the sintering support structures may include a following shell with an inner surface generally offset from the e.g., lateral part contour by a larger (e.g., 5-300 microns) gap or clearance, but will have protrusions or raised ridges extending into the gap or clearance to and separated by the smaller gap (e.g., 1-20 microns), or extending across the gap or clearance, to enable small point contacts between the part and support structures formed from the same (or similar) model material. Point contacts may be easier to break off after sintering than compacted, intimate contact of, e.g., a following contour shell.

Optionally, a neat matrix (e.g., green body supports formed from one or more of the binder components) support structure may be printed between model material (e.g., metal) parts and model material (e.g., metal) support structures to maintain the shape of the part and structural integrity during the green and brown states, reducing the chance of cracking or destruction in handling.

While several of the Figures are shown in side, cross section view, FIG. 10 shows the sintered body structure of FIG. 4 in top views, while FIG. 11 shows a variation for the purpose of explanation. As shown, support shells or other structures may be printed with separation or parting lines or layers between portions of the support structure. The separation or parting lines or layers may be any separation structure described herein, including those described between the part and support structure. For example, the separation lines or layer permitting a support shell to be broken into two or more parts (optionally many parts) may be formed from separation material (e.g., ceramic and binder), from binder material, from model material (e.g., metal) with separation gaps (such as 1-20, 5-100, or 50-300 microns) and/or protrusions or ridges permitting snap-off structures. For example, a support structure or shell may be formed to be split in two halves (e.g., as in FIG. 10), creating a parting line in the support structure or shell. Parting lines are optionally printed to be contiguous within a plane intersecting (e.g., bisecting) a support shell structure so as to permit ready separation. Multiple planes of parting lines may intersect the support shell structure.

In the case of complex geometries, as noted above, support structures may be printed with parting lines, sectioned into smaller subsections (e.g., as PL-1 in FIG. 11, like orange slices, or further sectioned in an orthogonal axis such that they can be easily removed), as shown in FIG. 11. For example, if support structures are printed filling in a dovetail of a part, support structures could be formed in three parts, e.g., could be designed in three parts, such that the center part either has draft or is rectangular and can be easily removed, thereby freeing up the two side parts to slide inward and then be removed. Conversely, parting lines may be printed to be interlocking (e.g., PL-3 in FIG. 11), crenellated or formed as a box joint (e.g., similar to PL-3 in FIG. 11), so as to resist separation, in some cases other than in a transverse direction. Parting lines may be printed nearly almost cut through the support shell (e.g., PL-2 in FIG. 11). Note that FIG. 11 is depicted without protrusions P1, i.e., with only separation layers SL2 in the vertical direction, and largely monolithic, surrounding support shell SH.

In some cases, particularly in the case of a small number of parting lines (e.g., halves, thirds, quarters) the support structures, at least because they are form following structures, may be preserved for later use as a workholding fixture, e.g., soft jaws, for holding a sintered the part in secondary operations (such as machining). For example, if a support structure were to support a generally spherical part, a support structure suitable for later use as a workholding jaw or soft jaw, the structure should retain the part from all sides, and therefore extend past the center or half-way point of the sphere. For the purposes of sintering and supporting vs. gravity, the support structure need not extend past the halfway point (or slightly before), but for the purposes of subsequent workholding for inspection and post processing, the support structure would continue past the half way point (e.g. up to ⅔ of the part's height, and in some cases overhanging the part) enabling positive grip in, e.g., a vise.

Further, attachment features to hold the workholding fixture(s) or soft jaw(s) in a vise (or other holder) may be added to the support structure for the purpose of post processing, e.g., through holes for attachment to a vise, or dovetails, or the like.

Alternatively, or in addition, a ceramic support may be printed, and sintered, to act as a reusable support for the sintering step of many 3D printed parts. In this case, upwardly facing surfaces of the reusable support may be printed to shrink to the same height as the matching or facing surface of the part being supported.

As discussed herein, a feedstock material for forming the part and/or the sintering supports may include approximately 50-70% (preferably approx. 60-65%) volume fraction secondary matrix material, e.g., (ceramic or metal) substantially spherical beads or powder in 10-50 micron diameter size, approximately 20-30% (preferably approx. 25% volume fraction of soluble or catalysable binder, (preferably solid at room temperature), approximately 5-10% (preferably approx. 7-9%) volume fraction of pyrolysable binder or primary matrix material, (preferably solid at room temperature), as well as approximately 0.1-15% (preferably approx. 5-10%) volume fraction of carbon fiber strands, each fiber strand coated with a metal that does not react with carbon at sintering temperatures or below (e.g., nickel, titanium boride). As discussed herein, the “primary matrix” is the polymer binder and is deposited by the 3D printer, holding the “secondary matrix” beads or spheres and the fiber filler; and following sintering, the (ceramic or metal) material of the beads or spheres becomes the matrix, holding the fiber filler.

Alternatively, a feedstock material for forming the part and/or the sintering supports may include approximately 50-70% (preferably approx. 60-65%) volume fraction secondary matrix material, e.g., (ceramic or metal) substantially spherical beads or powder in 10-50 micron diameter size, approximately 20-30% (preferably approx. 25% volume fraction of soluble or catalysable binder, (preferably solid at room temperature), approximately 5-10% (preferably approx. 7-9%) volume fraction of a pyrolysable binder or secondary matrix material approximately 1/10- 1/200 the elastic modulus of the (ceramic or metal) secondary matrix material, and approximately 0.1-15% (preferably approx. 5-10%) volume fraction of particle or fiber filler of a material approximately 2-10 times the elastic modulus of the secondary, (metal or ceramic) matrix material. As discussed herein, the “primary matrix” is the polymer binder and is deposited by the 3D printer, holding the “secondary matrix” beads or spheres and the fiber filler; and following sintering, the (ceramic or metal) material of the beads or spheres becomes the matrix, holding the particle of fiber filler.

A comparison of elastic modulus may be found in the following table, with polymer/binder primary matrices of 1-5 GPa elastic modulus

Secondary Elastic Modulus Elastic Modulus matrix (10⁹ N/m², GPa) Fill (10⁹ N/m², GPa) Steel 180-200 Carbon Fiber 200-600 Aluminum  69 Graphite Fiber 200-600 Copper 117 Boron Nitride 100-400 Titanium 110 Boron Carbide 450 Alumina 215 Silicon Carbide 450 Cobalt 209 Alumina 215 Bronze  96-120 Diamond 1220  Tungsten Carbide 450-650 Graphene 1000  Carbon Nanotube 1000+

The spheres, beads or powder (e.g., particulate) may be a range of sizes. A binder may include dispersant, stabilizer, plasticizer, and/or inter-molecular lubricant additive(s). Some candidate secondary matrix-filler combinations that may be deposited by a 3D printer within a binder or polymer primary matrix include cobalt or bronze beads with tungsten carbide coated graphite (carbon) fibers; aluminum beads with graphite (carbon) fibers; steel beads with boron nitride fibers; aluminum beads with boron carbide fibers; aluminum beads with nickel coated carbon fibers; alumina beads with carbon fibers; titanium beads with silicon carbide fibers; copper beads with aluminum oxide particles (and carbon fibers); copper-silver alloy beads with diamond particles. Those fibers that may be printed via the techniques of the CFF Patent Applications may also be embedded as continuous fibers. Carbon forms for particles or fibers include carbon nanotubes, carbon blacks, short/medium/long carbon fibers, graphite flakes, platelets, graphene, carbon onions, astralenes, etc.

Some soluble-pyrolysable binder combinations include polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) (stearic acid optional, PMMA in emulsion form optional); waxes (carnauba, bees wax, paraffin) mixed with steatite and/or polyethylene (PE); PEG, polyvinylbutyral (PVB) and stearic acid.

Some pyrolysable second stage binders include: polyolefin resins polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE); linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and polyoxymethylene copolymer (POM). As noted, In thermal debinding, a part containing binder is heated at a given rate under controlled atmosphere. The binder decomposes by thermal cracking in small molecules that are sweep away by the gas leaving the oven. In solvent debinding, a part containing binder is subject to dissolving the binder in appropriate solvent, e.g., acetone or heptane. In catalytic debinding, the part is brought into contact with an atmosphere that contains a gaseous catalyst that accelerates cracking of the binder, which can be carried away.

Accordingly, the present disclosure describes a method of depositing material and an apparatus for additive manufacturing. The apparatus feeds a first filament including a binder matrix and sinterable spherized and/or powdered first material having a first sintering temperature along a material feed path, and feeds a second filament including the binder matrix and sinterable spherized and/or powdered second material having a second sintering temperature higher than the first sintering temperature (optionally, e.g., more than 500 degrees C. higher). The apparatus forms layers of second material by deposition upon a build plate or prior deposition of first or second material, and layers of first material by deposition upon prior deposition of second material. The apparatus (including an additional station of the apparatus) debinds at least a portion of the binder matrix from each of the first material and second material. The apparatus (including an additional station of the apparatus) then heats a part so formed from first and second material to the first sintering temperature, thereby sintering the first material and decomposing the second material. In printing a sinterable part using a 3D printing model material including a binder and a ceramic or metal sintering material, a release layer intervenes between support structures and the part, each of the support structures and the part formed of the model material or composite. The release layer includes a spherized or powdered higher melting temperature material—ceramic or high temperature metal for example, optionally deposited with a similar (primary) matrix or binder component to the model material. After sintering, the release layer may become a loose powder, permitting the supports to be easily removed.

In the present disclosure, “3D printer” is inclusive of both discrete printers and/or toolhead accessories to manufacturing machinery which carry out an additive manufacturing sub-process within a larger process. A 3D printer is controlled by a motion controller 20 which interprets dedicated G-code and drives various actuators of the 3D printer in accordance with the G-code.

“Fill material” includes material that may be deposited in substantially homogenous form as extrudate, fluid, or powder material, and is solidified, e.g., by hardening, crystallizing, or curing. “Substantially homogenous” includes powders, fluids, blends, dispersions, colloids, suspensions and mixtures.

“3D printer” meaning includes discrete printers and/or toolhead accessories to manufacturing machinery which carry out an additive manufacturing sub-process within a larger process. A 3D printer is controlled by a motion controller 20 which interprets dedicated G-code (toolpath instructions) and drives various actuators of the 3D printer in accordance with the G-code.

“Deposition head” may include jet nozzles, spray nozzles, extrusion nozzles, conduit nozzles, and/or hybrid nozzles.

“Filament” generally may refer to the entire cross-sectional area of a (e.g., spooled) build material. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of reducing distortion in an additively manufactured part; comprising: forming a shrinking platform of successive layers of composite, the composite including a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix; forming shrinking supports of the composite above the shrinking platform; forming a desired part of the composite upon the shrinking platform and shrinking supports, all portions of the desired part being vertically and directly supported by the shrinking platform; forming a sliding release layer below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform that reduces lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and an underlying surface; debinding the matrix sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part; and heating the shape-retaining brown part assembly formed from the composite to shrink all of the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part together at a same rate as neighboring metal particles throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly undergo mass diffusion.
 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: depositing an open cell structure including interconnections among cell chambers in at least one of the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part; and penetrating a fluid debinder into the open cell structure to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure.
 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part to substantially align a centroid of the combined shrinking platform and connected shrinking supports with the centroid of the part.
 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: interconnecting the shrinking supports to a side of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the composite between the shrinking supports and the side of the desired part.
 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming a lateral support shell of the composite following a lateral contour of the desired part; and connecting the lateral support shell to the lateral contour of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the composite between the lateral support shell and the desired part.
 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming soluble support structures of the debindable matrix without the metal particulate filler that resist downward forces during the forming of the desired part; and debinding the matrix sufficient to dissolve the soluble support structures before heating the shape-retaining brown part assembly.
 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming soluble support structures of a release composite, the release composite including a ceramic particulate filler, the debindable matrix and less than a sinterable amount of the metal particulate filler, the soluble support structures resisting downward forces during the forming of the desired part; and before heating the shape-retaining brown part assembly, debinding the matrix sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part and to dissolve the matrix of the soluble support structures.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the underlying surface comprises a portable build plate, and wherein the method further comprises: forming the shrinking platform above the portable build plate; forming the sliding release layer below the shrinking platform and above the portable build plate with a release composite including a ceramic particulate and the debindable matrix; sintering the shape-retaining brown part assembly during the heating; keeping the build plate, sliding release layer, and shape-retaining brown part assembly together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering; after sintering, separating the build plate, sliding release layer, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports from the desired part.
 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming part release layers between the shrinking supports and the desired part with a release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix; sintering the shape-retaining brown part assembly during the heating; keeping the part release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering; after sintering, separating the part release layers, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports from the desired part.
 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: depositing an open cell structure including interconnections among cell chambers in the shrinking supports; and penetrating a fluid debinder into the open cell structure to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure.
 11. A method of reducing distortion in an additively manufactured part; comprising: depositing, in successive layers, a shrinking platform formed from a composite, the composite including a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix; depositing shrinking supports of the composite above the shrinking platform; depositing an open cell structure including interconnections among cell chambers in the shrinking supports; depositing, from the composite, a desired part upon the shrinking platform and shrinking supports; exposing the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part to a fluid debinder to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly; penetrating the fluid debinder into the open cell structure to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure; and sintering the shape-retaining brown part assembly to shrink at a rate common throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly.
 12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: depositing a sliding release layer below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform that reduces lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and an underlying surface.
 13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: depositing part release layers between the shrinking supports and the desired part with a release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix; keeping the part release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly together as a unit during the exposing and during the sintering; after sintering, separating the part release layers, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports from the desired part.
 14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: forming vertical gaps without release composite between shrinking supports and the desired part where a vertical surface of a shrinking support opposes an adjacent wall of the desired part.
 15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: depositing a lateral support shell block having a large cell interior, having cells with cell cavities wider than a thickest wall within the lateral support shell block, to assist in diffusing and penetrating debinding fluid into the support.
 16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: interconnecting the shrinking supports to a side of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the composite between the shrinking supports and the side of the desired part.
 17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: forming a lateral support shell of the composite as the shrinking supports to follow a lateral contour of the desired part.
 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: connecting the lateral support shell to the lateral contour of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the composite between the lateral support shell and the desired part.
 19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: depositing at least one of the shrinking platform, the lateral support shell, and the desired part with interconnections between internal chambers; and penetrating a fluid debinder via the interconnections into the internal chambers to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure.
 20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: forming the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part to substantially align a centroid of the combined shrinking platform and connected shrinking supports with the centroid of the part.
 21. A method of reducing distortion in an additively manufactured part; comprising: depositing, in successive layers, a shrinking platform formed from a composite, the composite including a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix; depositing shrinking supports of the composite above the shrinking platform; forming, among the shrinking supports, parting lines as separation clearances dividing the shrinking supports into fragments separable along the separation clearances; shaping, from the composite, a desired part upon the shrinking platform and shrinking supports, debinding the matrix sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and desired part; sintering the shape-retaining brown part assembly to shrink at a rate uniform throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly; separating the shrinking supports into fragments along the separation clearances; and separating the fragments from the desired part.
 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein one or more of the separation clearances are formed as vertical clearance separating neighboring shrinking supports and extend for substantially a height of the neighboring shrinking supports, and further comprising: separating the neighboring shrinking supports from one another along the vertical clearances.
 23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: forming, within a cavity of the desired part, interior shrinking supports from the composite; forming, among the interior shrinking supports, parting lines as separation clearances dividing the interior shrinking supports into subsection fragments separable along the separation clearances; and separating the subsection fragments from one another along the separation clearances.
 24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: forming the subsection fragments as blocks separable from one another along a separation clearance contiguous within a plane intersecting the shrinking supports.
 25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: forming a lateral support shell of the composite as the shrinking supports to follow a lateral contour of the desired part; and connecting the lateral support shell to the lateral contour of the desired part by forming separable attachment protrusions of the composite between the lateral support shell and the desired part.
 26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising: forming, in the lateral support shell, parting lines dividing the lateral support shell into shell fragments separable along the parting lines; debinding the matrix sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, lateral support shell, and desired part; separating the lateral support shell into the shell fragments along the parting lines; and separating the shell fragments from the desired part.
 27. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: depositing at least one of the shrinking platform, the shrinking supports, and the desired part with interconnections between internal chambers; and penetrating a fluid debinder via the interconnections into the internal chambers to debind the matrix from within the open cell structure.
 28. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: forming soluble support structures of the debindable matrix without the metal particulate filler that resist downward forces during the forming of the desired part; and debinding the matrix sufficient to dissolve the soluble support structures before sintering the shape-retaining brown part assembly.
 29. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: forming a sliding release layer below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform that reduces lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and build plate forming the shrinking platform above the portable build plate; forming the sliding release layer below the shrinking platform and above the portable build plate with a release composite including a ceramic particulate and the debindable matrix; and keeping the build plate, sliding release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering.
 30. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: forming part release layers between the shrinking supports and the desired part with a release composite including a ceramic particulate filler and the debindable matrix; keeping the part release layers and shape-retaining brown part assembly together as a unit during the debinding and during the sintering; after sintering, separating the part release layers, shrinking platform, and shrinking supports from the desired part. 